"I love driving race cars, but I do hate how long the season is," Earnhardt said in a conversation with reporters this week at Lowe's Motor Speedway. "Hate might be a little bit of a strong word, but it's right up there. It's hard. It's hard on us traveling.

"It's real hard on my crew. I've probably seen half a dozen marriages fall apart over the last five years. And I'll probably see another half-dozen in the next five years.

Related Stories

"These guys who are newlyweds and ones that have kids and stuff but never get to see them or spend time with them, it's a shame."

It's the only life Earnhardt has known. His legendary father was divorced from Dale Jr.'s mother in 1977 when Dale Jr. was 3. Dale Jr. was at Daytona when his father was killed in a crash in 2001.

Interestingly, Dale Jr. turned 32 on Tuesday and remains single. He is proud of his status as NASCAR's most eligible bachelor, but maybe that's because he knows what the life can do to a relationship.

"A lot of sacrifices are made (by NASCAR people) and I come from a long line of sacrifices, so I know that all too well," Earnhardt said.

With the public clamoring for more racing, it's unlikely the schedule will be cut back.

From cycles to stock cars

The most interesting announcement of a busy week again came from MB2 Motorsports. One week after getting
Mark Martin
to switch from Roush Racing, MB2 said it has added
Ricky Carmichael,
the greatest motocross racer of all time.

Carmichael, 26, will compete in a developmental program in 2007, with a combination of about 15 events in late-model stock cars, ARCA and possibly Craftsman Truck Series.

According to Bobby Ginn, the owner of MB2, the program will be accelerated in 2008. There is no timetable for Carmichael to move into
Nextel Cup, but the thinking
is it will take at least two years.

Carmichael also will run an abbreviated Supercross and motocross schedule of approximately 16 races next year with Team Makita Suzuki Racing.

Carmichael has no experience racing stock cars, but he believes he will be able to make the shift.

"Car racing is totally different than motocross," Carmichael said. "The car has so much to do with it.

"But I think one thing that I do have and that I've learned is I have a lot of patience.

"I think that could be a good trait that I could bring over. ... "It will be tough, but I know — I feel that I can do that."

Opposed to Buschwhackers

Jeff Gordon
, as the saying goes, is rich enough to air-condition hell.

But that's not the reason, he says, that he thinks it's wrong for Nextel Cup drivers to drop down and race in the Busch Series.

Unlike a growing number of Nextel Cup drivers who are racing almost full time in the Busch Series, Gordon believes it would be detrimental for him to try to race in both competitive series.

"I saw today (Thursday at Lowe's Motor Speedway) guys jumping out of their Cup cars, and they had to run as fast as they could over there to the Busch garage and get signed in and all that and go (practice)," Gordon said in a conversation with reporters.

"There is no way that is adding to their Cup program. There's no way.

"That's a crucial moment for me to get out of that car and spend that time with my team and my crew chief in dissecting what we need to go out there and qualify better."

Gordon has another reason for objecting to Cup drivers in the Busch Series: It takes away from the developmental aspect of the Busch Series.

"It really is no longer a training ground for young, up-and-coming drivers," Gordon said. "It's unfortunate (because) it should be.

"But all those Cup teams and owners and drivers are out there working the Busch Series, and it's going to take away from finding that young talent that we're all searching for."

ESPN lineup

Can't wait for ESPN to get back into NASCAR next year?

"You are looking live at Talladega Superspeedway ... "

That's right, Brent Musburger will be the studio host for the NASCAR telecasts, adding, well, whatever it is Brent Musburger adds. That's a whole other column.

Daugherty has been a racing fan since he was young (legend is that he chose No. 43 in honor of Richard Petty) and was a
co-owner of Busch Series and Craftsman Truck Series teams.

Daugherty has worked for EPSN and ABC as a basketball analyst.

He and NASCAR chief executive Brian France co-founded the NASCAR Diversity Council several years ago.

Harvick to get his own brand

Kevin Harvick finally will have his own footprint next season when his No. 29 Chevrolet will change primary sponsors to Shell Oil and Pennzoil.

In 2001, Harvick was the driver who took over when Dale Earnhardt was killed in a crash at the Daytona 500. Car owner Richard Childress wisely changed Earnhardt's trademark No. 3 to No. 29, but the GM Goodwrench logo remained.

Next year, Shell and Pennzoil will dominate the No. 29, with GM Goodwrench staying as an associate sponsor. According to some reports, the hefty price tag of being a primary sponsor was too much for GM/Goodwrench.

It has been estimated that the cost of primary sponsorship for a Nextel Cup car is as much as $20 million.

For Harvick, who is in the thick of the Chase for the Nextel Cup, the change has major significance.

"I think it is a great opportunity to establish something from ground zero, to kind of establish my own identity in the No. 29 car and move forward with the Shell brand on board," Harvick told reporters last week. "This gives me the opportunity to kind of shed that last little piece of the past.

"Not that we ever want to get rid of the Dale Earnhardt/Goodwrench piece, because we don't."